Where We Stand In The Fallout
by StoryMaster Rayleigh
Summary: When you are thrown into a post-apocalyptic world, what will you do? Will you become a murderer? Or will you become a savior? Where would you stand in the fallout of the Great War? It's not a question we need to answer, but it is for the Sole Survivor of Vault 111. I hope you enjoy my story. I do not own the picture.


Nick took a quick glance outside the window, expecting the rad storm to clear out. It has been nearly an hour, yet it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. At least it isn't a raging one. He sighed and went downstairs where the duo is resting. The three of them were making their way to Diamond City and they would've arrived there much faster if it wasn't for the green clouds above their heads.

It was a good thing that they managed to get into one of the abandoned buildings nearby. Nick reached the end of the stairs with that thought in his metallic mind. He turned to his left and stared at the two mysterious individuals. One was leaning against the wall across the room. The other, he turned his head slightly to the left, was lying on the couch with a backpack and an assault rifle on the ground at the end of the couch facing the door where they came in.

Nick was always one to hold back his personal curiosity, but the two individuals in his sight are too much for him to resist the temptation to ask a few questions. Anyone in the entire Commonwealth would ask at least a dozen of questions if they meet these two. He didn't want to disturb them, so he sat down on the only other chair in the nearly empty room beside the stair. His mind started racing, searching answers from their encounter about an hour ago.

Nick was working on a case, to find a runaway daughter-Darla. He had a lot of requests throughout his years in the agency, and the most frequent requests from the citizens of the Commonwealth is to find their loved ones. The Institute. Most of 'em were connected to the elusive underground organization, but sometimes it was the parasites of the post-apocalyptic world. This case was the latter. That was what he assumed when he followed the trail which ultimately leads him to Vault 114. The moment he found himself in front of the vault, a bunch of Triggermen surround him whilst a familiar face came out from the vault door. It would seem this old rival, Skinny Malone, has taken over the vault and made it into his castle. Not that he didn't know about it although, to his surprise, Darla was standing beside him. Nick explained his reason for coming, but Darla had other plans. She refused to go home and wanted to stick with Skinny. She tried to convince Skinny killing the old synth. However, Skinny was quite sentimental. He had Nick locked inside the Overseer's room and placed Dino there to keep an eye on the detective.

Nick worked out a plan to escape after a few days. Then, he waited the right tie to execute his plan by influencing Dino. He had been a detective for a long time, thus figuring out what kind of person Dino is wasn't difficult. Most of the time there are other Triggermen stick around with Dino, so he waited for the chance to speak to him alone. Today is the day. He knew Dino is afraid of his boss more than anything, so he tricked him, telling him that Skinny Malone is planning to have him killed due to believing him to be a card cheat, causing Dino to run off in a panic. He might not have much time in his hand, but it would suffice for him to unlock the door.

A few seconds after Dino went out of his sight, he heard a gunshot coming from the stairs to the right of the room. It wasn't any ordinary gunshot, he couldn't tell what gun was used to produce that sound. Nevertheless, he backed away from the door, bracing himself for whoever might come. Two shadows dashed past the window, hiding behind the vault door, possibly trying to access the terminal. The door opened, and before Nick could joke about the reverse damsel-in-distress situation, he stunned.

The two intruders stepped into the room was nothing short of a wonder. One was armed to the teeth, every bit of his body was covered by black colored clothing, accessory or aror. Nick was fairly sure that person was a male because he doesn't seem to have female breasts. Also, the huge sniper rifle hanging on his back is a dead giveaway, no woman would have been able to carry that heavy monster. Dark camo hoodie envelops his torso; road goggles and skull bandana ensures he won't be recognized by anyone anytime soon; black leather gloves, combat boots, and jet-black cargo trousers; a utility belt with grenades, ammo clips as well as a tactical military knife, an odd looking submachine in its holsters at the right of his hip and ammunition strap across his chest. Nick can't help himself but feel a chill down his inorganic spine when the sniper stares at him.

The other one was a woman. Her body was lean, around five foot tall and her skin was light peach. Her overall appearance was not much different from a regular traveling female mercenary-pieces of heavy leather armour [medium treated leather arms, the rest are heavy studded leather] above a road leather along with a leather gauntlet and a tactical backpack alongside an assault rifle strapped to the side. It was her face, or rather, her mask which left him puzzling. Her mask was unlike anything he saw, At first glance, Nick could tell this was a fox mask, but at the same time, he wasn't very sure. The drawings on the mask gave him an impression that it was created in...Japan? He didn't know why he made the connection, as if there was someone else inside him knew. Someone from before everything went to hell. Her eyes, behind the mask, was clear as a blue lake under the moonlight; her hair was short and coloured in pale silver.

He pulled himself back and told them they need to get out of here fast. The woman nodded, yet she signalled her companion to gather the holotapes on top of the Overseer's table. Not only that, her companion started booting up the Overseer's terminal and sat in front of it. The woman shows no indication of waiting for the black sniper as she gestured Nick to lead the way.

 _He'll probably catch up later_. Thought Nick to himself while making their way to the vault's exit.

He saw Dino's body on the second floor, right beside the stairs. He has no wounds although he was lying unconscious. He linked the scene in front of him to the weird gunshot he heard. Perhaps it was some sort of stun gun? He didn't put much thought into it. He did pick up Dino's gun, though. They raced towards the first floor to find out Skinny's henchmen was already there waiting for them.

Nick wasn't sure what he should be expecting. He was pretty confident he and the lady can take out all of them if they did it stealthily. All of a sudden, the black sniper jumped and landed in the middle of the cafeteria bending down one of his knees. Although he wasn't a human, but he sure as HELL know for a fact if someone jumped from that height, two or three broken bones will be considered lucky. He didn't even _flinch_. Thanks to that stunt, it astonished their enemies and left a huge opening for him to attack.

The sniper stood up, drew his gun and shot every single Triggermen in the head he could see in the room with perfect accuracy. A Triggermen hiding behind the wall of the hallway tried to cover shoot the marksman, but the second his head came out from the wall, his body shook violently for a millisecond and fell to the ground. Nick was more or less right, it **is** a stun gun. He could clearly see an orb of lightning flew towards the now fainted man's head.

The hooded man glanced towards his back at Nick and the woman's hiding spot. They swiftly stepped out from their location beside the Nuka Cola machine and continued their journey with Nick taking the lead. As he walked past the sniper, the man marched side by side with Nick, leaving the woman to guard their back. They stride their way down the hallway then arrived at the other end of it to find out the door was locked. Nick spoke no words just as he tried to unlock the door.

They spared no time, rushing up the stairs, racing down another hallway, pausing for a moment at the end of the hallway when the woman saw an issue of the Astoundingly Awesome Tales and tossed it into her backpack. They navigated through a few rooms, going up another flight of stairs which Nick couldn't resist commenting a rhetorical question concerning the builders of the vault. Nick was glad he didn't need to shoot anyone. The sniper was always ahead of him, gunning down anyone came to his view without actually killing anyone. Nick marvelled at the sight of the sniper's futuristic gun, speculating where he got his hands on such a weapon.

Another hallway full of Skinny's goons, another stairs and finally arriving the final door, where Nick told them his old rival would be waiting at the other side. Nick unlocked the door. As soon as the three of them stepped out of the room, they were greeted with guns pointing at them. Nick couldn't sweat, but if he can, he would now. _This is not going to be easy_ , he said to himself.

Skinny Malone was anything **but** skinny. His black fedora, black and white suit with a tie and a Tommy gun is a living example of a pre-war mob boss. At his side, Darla, wearing a sequin dress, holding a baseball bat, was glaring at the three trespassers like a hawk.

Skinny kept on running his mouth about Nick ruining his grand castle. Nick retort back by telling him to have his new flame write home more often. Darla replied by insulting the old synth. Their argument goes on for awhile until Darla mentioned the woman behind Nick. She didn't seem to feel odd about the woman's mask. The woman spoke up and her voice was as silvery as her hair. Her soothing voice was one of the factors she managed to convince Darla to go home. Nick could tell there was something bitter in her words.

Darla managed to snap out of it, followed by a drama scene between Skinny and a girl realizing her mistake. Darla left, Skinny blamed Nick and the woman for causing his girlfriend to leave him. Nick convinced him his "friend" just did him a favor and continued to persuade him to let them go.

It took less than ten seconds to get out of Skinny Malone's pathetic face and sprint forward for the manhole connected to the back bay.

Nick has a habit of releasing his stress in the form of words. He speaks of the night sky of the Commonwealth, how it end up looking so inviting despite being naturally ominous. He thanked the duo for saving him and asked them how they found him. At first, they just stayed silent, but after they exchange a look with each other, the woman spoke up. She said they were just wandering around the place, searching for any kind of valuables or useful technology. She proceeds to ask Nick about what exactly is going on back then. Nick gave her a brief explanation. After he had finished, the woman asked him if he was able to find someone in an agitated tone. Nick didn't find a reason to decline his saviors' request, therefore, he said he wants them to go to his office in Diamond City, where they'll go through the details. The woman revealed she and her companion heard of Diamond City before, however, they never visited the place and asked Nick if they can follow him. Nick agreed. Together, the trio traversed towards the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. Not long after they began their journey, the rad stormed forced them to search for shelter.

Now Nick is back to the present, still pondering whether or not he should inquire the two mysterious individuals. He now realizes the fact that both of them doesn't seem to be bothered by his appearance, though to be honest, he is quite comfortable they didn't ask. The woman sat up abruptly and spoke,

"We haven't properly introduced ourselves. My name is Aria, my companion over there is Codsworth."

"Nick Valentine, nice to meet you. So, uh, who exactly are you two? You don't look like you're from the neighbourhood. Are you some sort of traveling mercenaries?" Nick stands up and pulls his chair closer to her, then sits back down on the old chair.

"No. We're...looking for someone, someone very dear to me." She straightens her posture, legs closing together, both of her hands on her thighs.

"Could you tell me who this person is? The storm isn't going anywhere anytime soon, might as well not waste our time." Nick lighted the cigarette he grabbed from his coat and begin to smoke. It's a natural reflex of the original Nick Valentine, an unstoppable reminder of what he is now.

"I'm looking for my son, Shaun. He was kidnapped. He was taken from me when he was..." Her sentence came to a stop. _Must've been hard for her_ , Nick thought. He seen this too many times, he wanted to put an end to all these tragedies, but what could an old synth do?

"Take your time, Miss Aria. I know it's painful, but tell me every detail you can remember." The room went silent again. She appears to be struggling in her head, her body was somewhat oscillating left and right, heads down. Seconds passed, she lifts up her head, tilted slightly towards her companion, as if she was asking for permission to speak. Her companion nodded. She raised up her right arm, her hand parallel to her chest, followed by her left arm. Once her index finger on the left hand touched her right wrist, a Pip-Boy presented itself.

"A vault dweller, huh. I'm impressed, how did you manage to disguise your Pip-Boy?"

"Codsworth integrated a Stealth Boy to the Pip-Boy, allowing me to hide it from plain sight whenever I want. Don't want to distract any unwanted guest." She rests her hands on their original position.

"True, most raiders, when they spot a vault dweller, he or she will instantly become their primary target? What vault are you from? Vault 81?"

"I...came from Vault 111, near Sanctuary."

"Vault 111. I heard some rumors before. Never thought it was real. What experiments did they conduct there? These vaults are known for their notoriety."

"It was a cryo facility, buried beneath the earth. My family, and a dozen more, were frozen in pods, for over two hundred years."

Nick nearly dropped his cigarette. It might be because he was staring at a two-hundred-year-old granny, or perhaps it was due to excitement for meeting another person from before the war. Nevertheless, it didn't stop him from continuing the conversation.

"You were on ice, huh? More importantly, you were underground. Sealed up. That's a lot of obstacles to get through for a single person, even more so for a woman. You might be tougher than most wastelanders I know."

"I appreciate the compliment."

"So, onto the next question. How did it happen, the kidnapping?"

Aria takes a deep breath and lets it out. Words that come out from her mouth lingers with sadness.

"I didn't know how much time has passed since I was first frozen. All of the sudden, I just woke up. It was cold. I heard a mechanical voice saying 'Manual Override Initiated. Cryogenic Stasis Suspended.'"

"So someone broke into the vault, with the knowledge to shut down the pods. They certainly are not average thugs."

"No, they are not. After a few seconds, a woman in some kind of lab suit aimed her finger at the pod across me. Inside that pod is my husband and our child, in his arms. The woman said 'This is the one.'

A bald man, with a gun in his grip, walked past me and commanded the woman to open the pod. I used all my energy to move my hands and pound on the pod, trying to grab their attention. However, the cold was too much to take, my efforts were wasted." She paused, and continues.

"They opened the pod and my husband asked them 'Is it over? Are we okay?' The bald man assured him everything was fine and it is almost over.

The woman wanted to take our baby, but my husband resisted. Then the bald man directed his gun on Nate, telling him to let our baby go. He refused to let go then the bald man….the bald man…he..." She starts sobbing. Tears flow down behind Aria's mask, making their way to her chin and dripped down to her clothes as she lowers her head.

Nick wanted to comfort her, wanted to tell her he knows how it feels to lose someone you love. He didn't say it. It was far too complicated. Her companion brush past Nick, sits down beside her, throws his arm round her neck and pat gently on her shoulder.

"...You could stop if it's too painful for you. We can resume this after we get back to Diamond City."

Aria buries her head in Codsworth's arm, removed her mask while covering her face for a brief moment to wipe her tears and put it back. She sniffs once before sitting straight up again.

"After the bald man shot my husband in the chest, he ordered the woman to get out from there as the pod shuts itself tight. Then, he looked right into my eyes and muttered 'At least we still have the backup.' before freezing me again."

Silence fills the room once more. Just when Nick is about to utter another word, the moonlight slips into the room through the window beside the entrance. The storm was over, though it could hardly call that way tonight.

"We should return to our journey. Don't wanna hang around for raiders to pounce on us." Nick suggests as he stands up.

Aria nods. The trio proceeds to complete their course under the lunar light.

"Open this gate, right now!"

A sharp, loud voice cuts through the stillness of the night. Nick knows the owner of the voice before they even see the big gate.

"What did Piper got herself into again?" Nick mumbles.

They walk through a security checkpoint, or at least resembles one. They swerve to their left and a woman with red trench coat comes into sight.

The woman in front of the gate, Piper, as soon as she heard their footsteps, she twists her body to face the incoming individuals. Her scowl expression turns into a delighted one when she finds the synth detective strolls toward her direction.

"Nick! You're back! Where have you been? Ellie was worry sick about you!" She immediately gives Nick a hug.

"I was captured while working on a case, luckily I was found by these two over here or I'll be a pile of scrap metal already." Nick raises a thumbs up and points at the duo besides him.

"Thank you both for saving Nick. The name's Piper, what's yours?" Piper stretches her hand towards Aria to greet her.

"Aria. My partner, Codsworth." Aria grabs and shakes her hands before letting go.

"Why do you wear a mask? What kind of mask is that anyway?" Piper's eyes glinting with curiosity.

Aria acts as if she isn't sure to answer Piper's questions or not. She didn't expect someone she just met would have questions for her, especially in such passionate manner.

"Piper, you shouldn't just questions out of the blue like that to a stranger. You're terrifying her."

"Come one, Nick. Don't you want to know more about her? A woman with strange mask alongside a companion wrapped up completely in black? This is one heck of a newsworthy material!"

"You can have your interview later. Right now, these two clearly needs some rest and I need to go back to my office. Speaking of which, what are **you** doing here in the middle of the night, Piper?"

"Let's just say someone with authority wasn't amused with my efforts on the latest article."

"You're still going on about McDonough being a synth? Jeez, Piper, I warned you not to mess with the Mayor."

"I, am an honest reporter. I can't just let the truth slip away! I-"

"We'll argue this later. I'll deal with the gatekeeper. Who's on shift right now?"

"Danny." Piper pouts while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Nick steps up to the intercom, "Danny, its Valentine, open up the gate."

"Nick?! You've been gone for weeks! Where did you disappear to? Ellie was worried-"

"I know, I know. Would you mind opening the gate right now, there are other people with me here right now, and as much as I don't need to sleep, they do."

"Gimmie a minute. Is Piper right beside you? Tell her the mayor is here and she better be ready."

"I can hear you Danny."

A loud creaking sound is created in the process of the gate lifting up. They made their way inside before the gate was completely opened. They find an angry man near the entrance, staring intensely at Piper.

"Piper! Who let you back inside?! I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut!"

"You might wanna look closely Mayor McDonough. Danny didn't open the gate for me." Piper smiles deviously.

" ! It's good to see you back in one piece. If you'll excuse me, I have a matter to discuss with this rabble-rousing slanderer. I'll have your printer scrap for parts, Piper!" McDonough beams at Piper.

"Oooh, that a statement Mr. McDonough? 'Tyrant mayor shuts down the press?'" Piper head turns toward Aria and continued, "Why don't we ask the newcomer? You support the news, Aria? 'Cause the mayor's threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster."

Aria doesn't like to be stuck between other people's dispute. She throws in a reply in the hope this could end quickly.

"I've always believed in freedom of the press."

"Oh, I didn't mean to bring you into this argument, miss. No no no...You look like Diamond City material. Welcome to the great green jewel of the Commonwealth. Safe. Happy. A fine place to come, spend your money, settle down. Don't let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, all right?" Although it happened for just a split second, she could see the mayor's expression changed from confusing to welcoming her presence. Everyone present the same reaction when they first saw her exotic mask.

"I'm sure your city's a great place." Aria gives him a worn-out smile under the mask.

"Yeah. Greatest house of cards in the Commonwealth...until the wind blows." Piper mocks.

"*ahem* Now, was there anything particular you came to our city for?" The mayor asks.

"She's with me, have a request to find her son. We should be going right now. Today's a rough day." Nick shows the duo the way after finishes his sentence.

"I'm tagging along with them. See you tomorrow, _mayor_." Said Piper as she walks with them.

The mayor snaps and announces, "I've had enough of this Piper. From now on, consider you and that little sister of yours on notice." He then power-walks at the direction of the elevator far left corner.

"Yeah, keep talking McDonough. That's all you're good for." Piper grins victoriously. Then, she converts her attention to the mysterious woman while moving at the same pace.

"A big Diamond City welcome from the mayor. Remember to stop by my office later, the one with 'Publick Occurrences' on it. Pretty hard to miss. I have an idea for an article you'd be perfect for." Piper dashes ahead of them, giving a wink to Aria before disappearing.

"Lively, isn't she? She runs the only newspaper in town along with her sister, Nat. Came here a few years ago, wanted to make the world a better place. While chasing her dream, she exposed some shady business, maybe even saved a few lives. However, sometimes she might take it a little too far causing folks here to distance themselves with her and her sister." They arrived at the end of the long staircase just as Nick wrapped up his succinct summary of Piper.

"Meet me at my agency tomorrow morning. I'll try to dig up any information related to the bald man. I have a feeling I heard of this mercenary before. Goodnight, Miss Aria."

"Goodnight, Nick." They went separate ways immediately.

"Signs of any motel, Codsworth?" They stroll down the path to the center of the city. Night time in Diamond City has a serene atmosphere. A few guards were spotted doing their job, waiting for the next shift; a handful of late night travellers having a meal at the noodle stand or trading with the Mister Handy of the Diamond City Surplus. The duo approached a nearby guard, enquiring a place to lodge for the night. The guard points their way to Dugout Inn, a mix between a bar and a hotel.

They strode through the hallway to officially arrive at the inn. Opposite of what they saw outside, the bar is full with people. They drink, some eat, most of them talks and laughs. It reminded of Aria when she first goes to a bar with Nate. The scene in front of her touched her soft spot. She was ready to tear up again before Codsworth pats her on the shoulder, giving her an emotional support. She nodded, they made a few steps forward then asked the bartender how much caps for one night. Vadim, the man running the bar, pushed them to have a drink with him. Yefim, who is sitting on a chair against the wall on the left, came to their rescue as he saw their distress for trying to shake off his brother. He showed the duo to an unoccupied room, charging them 10 caps for a night while apologizing for his brother's overly passionate greeting.

Aria dove into the bed as soon as she relieves herself from the weight of the big backpack and the M2216, shoving them to the ground. Codsworth laid down his sniper rifle on the table before he proceeds to grab the backpack. She flipped to her back, staring at the old ceiling.

"I hope you got a good price on those things. Our money is running dry. Ugh, if only it was paper money, it's a pain to haul all the caps we gathered from one place to another." Aria complained as Codsworth walked out the room, not forgetting to close the door.

Aria kept on staring at the ceiling. She was...excited. First week into the _real_ Commonwealth and they already found help. It also proved that Codsworth was a liar, exaggerating the dangers lies in the Commonwealth. Super mutants, radscorpions, deathclaws, they didn't even run to any one of it. Heck, they barely ran into anything dangerous, only a few feral ghouls along with small groups of raiders. Then there's the Triggermen a few hours ago. Nothing they couldn't handle with absolute ease. Still, it's all thanks to Codsworth's training.

Piper's word pops into her mind out of nowhere. Maybe she should visit Piper. She was **dying** to talk to someone else other than Codsworth, but he forbids her, afraid that she might endanger them by accidentally spilling the beans. She was a lawyer once, she knows better than anyone to what extent the power of secrets holds. Regardless of what Codsworth said, her heart is set on visiting Piper. She swiftly detached pieces of armor on her immediately after she got up and hid it under the bed.

She sneaked out the room (not before locking it), asked the waitress for a glass of water, then went out the inn. The silver-haired woman slinked to Piper's house while keeping an eye out for Codsworth, who is currently pulling out items from the backpack in front of the Mister Handy. She knocks softly on the door and waited. Moments later, Piper opens the door and invited Aria to enter.

"Where's your partner?" Piper spoke first before they seated themselves on the couch at each end.

"He's...running some errand. He won't be joining us." Aria replied.

"Is that so? Nevermind. Okay, here's the thing. I want to know your story. I think it's time Diamond City had a little outside perspective on the Commonwealth. You do that, and I'll help you any way I can. Whaddya say?"

"Okay." Aria was regretting her decisions. What if she really did accidentally tells Piper something she shouldn't? There's probably no stopping the reporter from using every word that's coming out from her mouth in the latest edition.

"So, I know you from a Vault. How would you describe your time on the inside-"

"Wait, wait. How do you know I'm from a Vault?" Aria sat up from her relaxed position as soon as Piper finished the sentence.

"The way you move your wrist suggests you might be wearing something heavy, even if it's invisible. The way you talk is different from most of the people in Commonwealth, probably someone hasn't lived in this harsh world for long. I've seen this speech pattern in a few of the vault dwellers I came across in the past. Then it hit me that the thing on your wrist is most likely a Pip-Boy, which would explain why you made it invisible, so no one can steal it. Finally, that mask you're wearing. I saw various masks before, but none come as close as yours. I assumed the mask was pre-war because the art style and that shape of the mask is something which cannot be created by a wastelander, no one has the time to do that, we're all too busy surviving. That either means 1) you stole it from a pre-war location or 2) you lived in a place that was built before the war and would have pre-war items. Still, I wasn't completely sure until you confirmed my theory." Piper grinned with pride.

Aria was dumbfounded. If it was the synth detective it wouldn't come as a revelation. The reporter in front of her amazed her.

"Surprised? I might not be as good as Valentine, but my deduction skills aren't far behind. One time, I was caught by the Children of Atom, a group of people worshipping the atom bomb. I tricked them, told them I had a 'vision' from 'Atom'. After the cult inducted me as a member, I sneaked away and had them taken care of. Gotta keep my senses keen if I want to continue doing my job." She chuckled.

"I'm impressed Piper."

"Thank you. Now, back to the question. How would you describe your time inside the vault?"

"If you mean literally, then I can't tell you much about it. My family and I were frozen. I didn't spend much time in the vault. If you mean figuratively, I can tell you that it was a nightmare, a freezing prison."

"Wait. They boxed you up in a fridge? The whole time? Are you saying you were alive before the war?" She jumped up, demanding answers.

"...Yes. I was frozen just right after the bombs fell and only woke up last year."

"Oh my god. 'The Woman Out of Time'. It must be devastating for you." She slumped back to her seat.

"It was. To this day, I still can't believe what happened." She leaned down her head slightly in sorrow.

"Does that mean I have to call you grandma?" She snickered. "So. You've seen the Commonwealth. Diamond City. How does it compare to your old life?"

"I've been having too much fun blowing things up to think about it." This time, Aria was the one snickering.

"You're joking right?"

"Yes. Honestly, seeing everyone surviving out here? Rebuilding the world? It gives me hope. The world before, it was all about who gets to destroy each other first."

"Wow. That's...surprisingly inspired, Blue. We're definitely quoting that."

"Why do you call me Blue?"

"All vault dwellers have a blue vault jumpsuit right? I thought maybe you would like the nickname. I hope you don't mind."

"Actually, I…mind. It's weird."

"Too bad. I kinda like the nickname. Now, the big question. I know you're looking for your son. Do you suspect the Institute was involved in his kidnapping?"

"I don't suspect they were involved. I know for a **fact** that they kidnapped him." Anger burns within her as she uttered those words.

"Oh? How can you be so sure?" _Crap._ Aria thought to herself.

"Err...One of the kidnappers has an Institute's symbol on her shoulder."

"And you somehow knew that was the Institute's symbol?" Piper narrows her eyes with suspicion.

"I…saw a few synths bearing the Institute's insignia before. I was resting in a building when they walked past."

"Hmm." Piper's eyes returned to normal, "Not even a baby is safe from them. And people wonder why I can't just look the other way...

"For the last part of our interview, I'd like to do something different. I want you to make a statement to Diamond City directly. The threat of kidnapping is all but ignored in the Commonwealth. Everyone wants to pretend it doesn't happen. What would you say to someone out there who's lost a loved one, but might be too scared, or too numb to the world to look for them?"

It hit her. It hit her _hard_. Shaun. Nate. The emotions started to swirl around her head. She was weak, thrown into a world without mercy, without hope. There are nights she cried while falling asleep. What did she do to deserve this? Not a day went by without her missing the old life. But there was no turning back, she can only brace herself for the future. She hold herself together and answered,

"No matter how much you want to give up, don't. You have to have hope. That you'll see them again. Or at least, that you'll know the truth." Her words were wrapped in bitterness. However, she believed in her own words. She refuses to give up.

"A strong note to end with. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"That's everything. It's gonna take some time to put this all together, but I think your story is going to give Diamond City plenty to talk about. To give them hope. Anyway, once I'm done, I can come with you if you want to."

"You mean, going on a journey with me?" Aria was a little doubtful.

"Yeah. I can't do my job if I'm just hanging around in Diamond City right? Besides, I can't wait to see where this story goes next." Piper smiled.

"It's not entirely my decision to make. I have to ask my partner's opinion."

"Since you mentioned him, what _is_ your relationship with him? Don't worry, this won't go into the newspaper, it's just between you and me. I won't tell anyone, I promise." She drew closer to Aria, hoping she would spill the beans.

Aria hesitated. On one hand, she wanted a real friend in this wasteland, someone she can share her feelings with and Piper is willing to do fulfill that wish. On the other, she needs to protect Codsworth's secret. By simply having a conversation with Piper, she might compromise his identity but she will gain an invaluable friend.

Piper saw Aria's troubled face and said, "If you're uncomfortable to answer, it's fine. I'm not gonna force you. After all, we've only know each other for, like what, half an hour? That, uh, was quite rude of me, sorry." Piper bowed down her head to apologize.

After witnessing Piper's sincere apology, she made up her mind.

"You swear you will NOT tell anyone else, no matter what?" She holds her breath. It was a leap of faith.

"I swear it on my pride as a reporter," Piper reassured her.

Aria let out her breath in relief. She began narrating her life in the post-apocalyptic world.

"I had no idea what happened when I woke up. We were lied to, frozen against our will. Then, my son kidnapped, my husband killed and I was thrown into this chaotic world. When I made my way out of the vault, there were only trees and things that didn't made into the vault in time. Not a single person could be seen. I thought I was dreaming, but the sensations I felt while walking down to Sanctuary kept on kicking me back to reality. When I arrived at my house, all the items inside are either stolen or broken beyond repair. I trotted around the area finding something to eat while keeping an eye on my surroundings, hoping someone is still around. After a few hours, I found a few Cram to fill my stomach. As the Sun falls, a group of armed man entered Sanctuary. It was after some time that I know they are raiders, merciless human beings trying to survive by any means necessary. I didn't know who they are back then. They walked up to me, asking me a bunch of questions about myself and the place. My body tremble with fear when I look at their eyes. I was a lawyer before the war, I've seen criminals aplenty throughout my career, their eyes reflects the evil nature lurking within them. I saw the same evil in the raiders." She paused for second to take in Piper's expression. She seems really into Aria's story.

"Go on." Piper couldn't wait to know what happens next.

"Well, I tried to escape, turned to my back and ran as fast as I could. People living in this world has improved physically to adapt the deadly environment. Needless to say I was captured almost immediately. They shoved me down on the pavement. Two of them pressed my arms and legs down as I struggle as hard as I could. A tall, muscular man approach me. The way the others treat him indicates he is the leader. His long stare at my body is equivalent to that of a wolf setting its eyes on a sheep. After the unbearable stare, he informed his men they could 'dig in'. My attempt to break free from the grip with greater might has failed. One of them punched my face so hard I practically passed out. My hands and legs went limp, I barely had any control over my body. Fear ate me whole as they lay their hands on my clothes. That was the first time I had a taste of despair." This time, Aria stopped because she wants to tease Piper a bit.

"What happened next? Did your partner appeared and save you, like a knight in shining armor? Or for his case in dark clothes?" Piper's reaction was similar to that of a child listening to a fairy tale wanting to know if the hero won.

"Yes, albeit in a bloody way. First it was a gunshot, then the next and the next until all of them lies dead on the ground. Blood splattered on me. The smell of blood was thick in the air. Eventually my mind shuts down and I blacked out. A lot of things happened after I awoke and now I'm here."

"So you're telling me even you don't really know who he is? Yet you still travel with him? That is kinda creepy despite him being your saviour."

"That, is a story for another day. Now I need to go back. He's not going to be very happy if he found out I talked to you. Goodnight." Aria rose to her feet ready to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Aria. Thanks again for the interview, and for sharing your story. I'm sure you'll find your son." Piper waved her hands as a goodbye.

Just before opening the door, Aria twist her head towards Piper once more and spoke, "Are we…friends?"

"Yeah. We're friends." Piper replied.

 _Friends._ It warms her heart to hear it. This is the best day since what seems to be a lifetime ago.

He was disappointed. Months' hard work teaching her to cover her presence while moving in enemies' line of sight has gone to waste. Just because Diamond City is safe doesn't mean she can throw her skills out of the window. She's not even remotely trying.

"Sir, your caps." Percy handed him a big pouch with the least harmful arm.

He grabbed the pouch in a rude manner then proceed to march back to the Inn. He didn't really care if Aria went for the reporter's interview. He also didn't bothered by the fact Aria is probably going to reveal some part of her life that may or may not include him. He knows her better than anyone. Aria might seem fine on the surface, but deep down in her heart she craved for someone to chat freely. He is aware of the consequence if a human has no contact with others for a long time. She is still traumatized by the death of her husband and the kidnapping of Shaun. This is her way to heal her wounds. He hoped he could be more than just her guide.

"Hey, you! Codsworth, right?" A familiar voice came from his back. Codsworth stopped in front of the noodle stand and swirled around. The detective was presumably to have some intel on their case. Nick trotted towards Codsworth from the end of the market's left hallway and halted before him.

"I have a lead on your companion's son. The man that kidnapped him is most likely Kellogg. A dangerous mercenary, although no one knows who his employer is. The description your companion gave matches his facial features and his MO. He bought a house in Diamond City a while back in the abandoned West Stands. The good news is a few people saw he had a kid with him, a boy around ten years old. The boy may or may not be your companion's child. We'll never know until we search Kellogg's house for clues to his current whereabouts. Both of them vanished not too long ago. I'm on my way to speak to Geneva, see if she has a spare key to the house. Wanna tag along? Or perchance you can pick a Masterlock?"

Codsworth nodded twice. His voice is unique, distinguishable. He can't risk his safety to talk.

"This way." Both of them hastily made their way to Kellogg's house. Nick navigate through the dark areas leading to their objective while Codsworth followed behind. Two minutes later they are inside the mercenary's house as Codsworth proved to be a very skilled lock picker.

"Let's take a look around. Even an experienced mercenary will leave some sort of traces." Nick said once they began their work. Codsworth decided to examine the upper floor, leaving the lower floor to Nick. The upper floor was nothing special. A coffee table with cups, a jug, a few corns and a duct tape; candles on top of a long-legged cabinet and a plain bed. However, as his sight sweep over the cabinet, something caught his eyes. He found a book with the word 'Journal' on its cover when he pulled out an unclosed drawer. The design of the book indicates it was a pre-war artifact. He opened the book and started skimming through it. It was Kellogg's journal. Records of his life have been written down yet there are still pages not filled with words. He closed the book and squeezed it into his clothing. The book will be helpful after he spends the whole night in the Inn reading it.

"Hey, I think I found something." Nick yelled. Codsworth jumped down directly to land in front of the desk Nick is observing.

"Either you're a synth or you need to teach me your inhuman ninja techniques." Codsworth dismisses Nick's jest and sauntered to the synth's back. Nick kneeled down and pushed the button hiding beneath the table. The wall to the right of the entrance slides up revealing a hidden room.

"Well…That's one way to hide the room." Nick smirked. Both of them move their feet towards the room like a moth to a flame. A huge red leather chair greets them as they step in. An ammo box can be seen at the left side of the chair; a cigar box of the brand "San Francisco Sunlight", a few bottles of Gwinnett Stout Beer and forty-four caliber bullets on top of a table on the right side. Standing against the left wall were racks of foods, drinks, ammunition and a few seemingly useful things. Codsworth immediately went for the cache of supplies, stuffing all of them into the backpack he emptied minutes ago.

"Just because he's a criminal and isn't here for the moment doesn't mean you can just take whatever you want." The old synth remarked. Codsworth shot him with a "shut the hell up" look and continued (to Nick it was nothing more than Codsworth twisting his head instantly to stare at him then turn his head back due to the road goggles covering his eyes.). Nick shook his head lightly in disappointment. The detective ignored Codsworth and examined the room more closely, expecting to find some other clues. In the end, the cigar was the sole lead on Kellogg. Nick dived into his mind trying to figure out what methods can he use to track down the cold-blooded murderer. Then a light bulb flashed above his head. It was the best way he could think of.

"After you're done robbing his house, meet me outside. I have an idea how to find our kidnapper."

X

Now the both of them standing face to face in front of Kellogg's house.

"There is someone I know, a specialist of a kind. Always goes his own way but I can get him here. Worked with him a few times, but he only likes certain people. I'll send out the signal, it's a special frequency, only he can hear it. He'll arrive in the morning if we're lucky." Once finished, Nick put his index finger along with his thumb into his mouth and blow it as hard as he can. No sound was heard by either of them but progress is on the way.

Nick still can't fathom Codsworth's actions while peering at the now full backpack. The old synth could hardly blame him, the world out there is harsh and it is logical to seize every supply in view. Nick lives a quite comfortable life, now or before he has metallic bones. It never occurred to him to do such a thing.

"I'll come by the Inn after my friend arrives. See ya." Nick took his leave. Codsworth leaps down the stairs before Nick even moved from his spot and already sprinting back to the Inn. This reinforces his idea of Codsworth being a synth.

"If he keeps pulling these stunts everyone will sure as hell know who he is with or without the disguise." Said Nick to himself. Does the mysterious sniper really intent to mask his identity or is it he trusts Nick will not reveal his secret? The old detective will never know.

When Codsworth slammed the door open, Aria was lying on the bed, pretending to fall asleep. He could see through her terrible acting in one glance. He chose not to question her.

"Where have you been?" Aria opened her eyes glancing at Codsworth, who is standing beside the bed and has laid down the backpack on the floor with a huge pouch of caps inside.

"Valentine and I was following a lead on Shaun." Aria bounce out from the bed then grabbed Codswoth on both of his shoulder.

"Did you find him? Is Shaun safe?" Fear, excitement and tears gleamed in her eyes.

"I don't know. The kidnapper, Kellogg, was seen together with a 10-year-old boy here. We investigated the house they were living but no one was there. Tomorrow, Valentine will bring his friend, which I suspect is a dog, to help us track the kidnapper. It is not certain if the boy is Shaun, don't let irrationality cloud your judgment."

Aria slowly let go of her grip. Her legs drooped, dropping her down on the bed.

"We will find Shaun, I promise. You should sleep. I found the kidnapper's journal while searching his house. Fingers crossed I'll find information that can assist us." He pulled out the book hidden in his clothes and shoved it to the table.

"...Okay." She went back to sleep, her body facing the wall connected to the bed. She removed her mask and closed her eyes. Right now, all she can do is hope for the best.

It was slightly after noon Nick came to the Inn. Aria was just finished reading Kellogg's journal when Codsworth told her it's time to go. They rendezvous in front of the Diamond City gate.

"This is Dogmeat. Worked with him in the past. Now, he's gonna help us find Kellogg." The three of them stared at the canine whilst Nick removed the branded cigar from his pocket and let Dogmeat sniff it. Dogmeat sniffed it then barked once, telling them he's ready to go.

"Wait!" The trio turns to their back to see Piper ran up to them. She stopped in front of them, her back bent and her arms on her knees to catch her breath.

"Thank god you haven't left. Nat told me she saw the three of you walked towards the entrance." She freed her hands from her knees and stood up straight.

"You're not coming with us Piper. It's too dangerous." The detective said.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to miss out the epic conclusion of the story of a mother confronting her husband's killer and her child's kidnapper! No offence, Aria." Piper did a "surrender" gesture to reinforce her point on not trying to offend Aria.

"None taken, but you really shouldn't come. He's not going to be waiting for us alone. There could be a dozen of synths trying to kill us." Aria doubts she can convince Piper this is a bad idea. It's obvious to see Piper is an adamant individual.

"There is nothing you can say to persuade me. I know how to take care of myself. I might not look like it, but I'm as tough as any average mercenary. I'm not planning to die anytime soon." Piper affirmed.

Nick sighed and shook his in disbelief. He knew the girl was stubborn, but risking her safety for an article? Either way, they need to move out soon. There's no telling Kellogg could be still at the same location. The gang is now fully prepared. Only thing to do is follow Dogmeat.

X

Their first stop was the edge of a huge puddle. There they found the same San Francisco Sunlight cigar on top a wooden box. Dogmeat was back on track after sniffing the cigar. They proceed to lope down an abandoned railway. Several mole rats hiding under the ground ambushed them along the way. The shooting didn't last for three minutes. Further down the path, they descended the stairs beside the railway bridge. After crossing the road, they saw clear signs of battle. A dead man, a broken turret and a bloody cloth. Dogmeat sniffed the bandages and continued pursuing the scent. None of them said anything. There was nothing to be said. All of them sought to discover the truth behind this conspiracy.

The moment they ascended the stairs, a pack of wild mongrel attacked them. Piper restraint herself to enquire Aria about her unique gun. The appearance of the gun resembles the Desert Eagle, only much larger. Bubbles of blue lightning originating from the gun gave the impression of delivering a highly painful shock, as heard in the whimpers of the mongrels. Although the guns on Aria's and Codsworth's hand have the same function, Codsworth's gun is parallel to that of a submachine gun, firing at high speed but with absolute accuracy. None of Codsworth's shot missed. They travelled down the railway yet again, this time they encountered a Yao Guai. Up until now, there was no need of Piper or Nick to draw their gun, the same goes for this. It's only been a blink of an eye and the Yao Guai has already passed out on the ground. Piper was impressed by the duo's no-killing policy. No one in the Commonwealth is that kind-hearted to leave their enemies breathing.

The sunlight shine on them relentlessly as they walked passed a guard tower, a water tank and into a building with stairs leading down to a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, there was a chair with an empty Gwinnett Stout beer on top of a table beside it. They were getting closer. Dogmeat guided them across a bridge after Aria and Codsworth single-handedly defeated the ghouls in their way. Piper felt a sense of uselessness rising up in her chest although she learned something new today-ghouls can be affected by huge amounts of voltage. Near the bottom of the tall highway, they spotted an assaultron, torn apart by someone and left lying on the ground together near a dead man as well as a destroyed protectron. Well, at least the body was on the ground, the head was severed and placed above a container. Lying beside the still functioning assaultron head, which it was weird to for it to say it can't feel its legs despite having a robotic body, they found the same branded cigar.

After scaling up a small hill, strode across a huge distance, they came upon another bloodied bandage hanging beside a rusted metal fence. Piper can't feel but getting bored. It isn't as thrilling as she thought. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at Kellogg's location, or at least that's what Dogmeat is certain about. They stood before a pre-war military base as Nick relief the canine's duty as their tracker.

"We ain't gonna bust through the front door. Gotta find a way in." Nick broke the silence. The others nod in unison and they spread out to find an alternate entrance. The turrets were predicted to guard the area, so they destroyed them as soon as they detect one, enabling their search for the entrance to be a lot smoother. Nick was glad Codsworth didn't perform any death-defying stunts. However, he couldn't help but wonder if he did when he signalled Aria he found the entrance on top of the roof.

As soon as they quietly descend the ladder, they saw synths patrolling the interior of the fort. They were planning to stealthily take down the synths but the detective accidentally slides down the ladder, causing a loud noise. Piper finally has the chance to get into action.

Thirty minutes and rooms full of synth corpse later, the danger was over. Both Aria and Codsworth acted like two wasteland scavengers and looted anything considered as useful or valuable within the building. How they stuff their backpack without overloading it is beyond Nick. Piper didn't mind their scavenging at all. After they went down to the lower floor via the elevator, there are still synths hanging around the place. Not only that, there were a few pesky traps to avoid.

"If it isn't my old friend, the frozen TV dinner. Last time we met, you were cozying up to the peas and apple cobbler."

Upon hearing the mocking sentence, Aria's fury burned fiercely. **Kellogg.**

"Sorry your house has been a wreck for two hundred years. But I don't need a roommate. Leave" Kellogg's voice came out from the speaker when they reached the command center of the fort.

"Hmph. Never expected you to come knocking on my door. Gave you 50/50 odds of making it to Diamond City. After that? Figured the Commonwealth would chew you up like a jerky." The mercenary was in quite a chatty mood. They raced forward, mowing down any and all synths like they're made of paper. The gang passed through a hallway full of intricate machinery then turned to the door on the right.

"Look. You're pissed off. I get it. I do. But whatever you hope to accomplish in here? It is not going to go your way." The quartet kept forwarding on, ignoring his warnings.

The second they enter the lowest level, Kellogg's voice resounded the place and entered their ear once more.

"You've got guts and determination, and that's admirable. But you are in over your head in ways you can't possibly comprehend. It's not too late. Stop. Turn around and leave. You have that option. Not a lot of people can say that." With full knowledge of her voice will not reach Kellogg, she expressed her emotion through words in her most wrathful tone,

" **Never.** "

Their final stop was in an elegant room. There was one standing movie camera against the left wall, a clean bed near the center and spotless white chairs, tables and containers at the right wall.

"Okay, you made it. I'm just up ahead. My synths are standing down. Let's talk." The door in front of them opened right after he finished. The three of them set their gaze on Aria who is standing in front of the opened door. Time froze for a moment there until Aria moved her legs to face her nemesis.

Lights went on and the man showed himself with two synths beside him as they walked in the command room.

"And there she is. The most resilient woman in the Commonwealth. Funny, I thought I had that honor." His piercing eyes, his mercenary outfit and the menacing revolver in his hand sent shiver down Piper's spine. This is the living demon of Commonwealth in the flesh.

"I see you brought friends. I hope they won't interrupt our conversation." Aria signaled Nick and Piper standing behind her to lower their weapons. They did it reluctantly; their fingers ready on the trigger. Codsworth, positioned himself beside Aria, was calculating how to take out the three enemies in front of him under five seconds.

"You came a long way. Let's hear it."

"Where is he? Where is my son?" Aria spoke with such cold intonation it could freeze a person on spot.

"Hmph. Lady, I'm just a puppet like you. My stage is a little bigger, that's all." He smirked. "This world, this life? You've seen it. Pain, suffering. Death is its only escape." He paused, "Shaun's a good kid. A little older than you may have expected, but he's doing great. If you're hoping for a happy reunion? Ain't gonna-"

" **Where. Is. My. Son?** " It made Kellogg, the fiercest man in the wasteland, had a drop of cold sweat when Aria utter those four words.

"What's the cliche? 'So close, but yet so far away?' That's Shaun. But don't worry. You'll die knowing he's safe, happy. Your son is exactly where he belongs, a loving home, a place nobody can reach. The Institute."

"I'll find my son, no matter where he is. Not the Institute nor the world can stop me."

"God, you're persistent. I give you credit. It's the way a parent should act. The way I'd be acting if I were in your place, I like to think. I admire your dedication to motherhood. But you should know by now that you don't find the Institute, the Institute find you. You open the closet, it's just a closet. You can never find the monster hides inside. Not until it jumps out at you. In another life, you probably would have been a good mother. But here…in this terrible reality? You just don't get the chance. But I think I've been talking long enough. We both know how this has to end."

"No, I don't."

Kellogg, like a malfunctioned toy, freezes for a few seconds to realize that was not the reaction he's predicting.

"Excuse me?" Kellogg was confused. The woman in front of him should be angry. She should be eager to put a bullet through his head a thousand times, but her entire demeanor suggests she was calm. There were no bloodlust, no hate towards the man who destroyed her life.

"I will not shoot you and you will not shoot me. We both walk out of here alive. No one dies today."

Piper couldn't resist anymore and shouted, "Are you kidding me Aria?! He killed your husband! Kidnapped your son! Not to mention he is a man that kill others to live another day! How-"

"If I pull the trigger, what good will come out of it? So that I can have revenge? So that I will lose an opportunity to convince a murderer who lost his ways a long time ago to atone for his sins and do some good for the world? So that I will magically able to find my son by killing the only man who has an idea of where to find him? But most importantly," She removed her mask, finally revealing her face to outsiders for the first time, "So that I can justify my actions for not being the same as Kellogg's?"

The same face appeared in front of Kellogg once again. A face that couldn't be older than the age of thirty. If he didn't have the information on her sixty years ago, he would assume she was a teenager. Her features gave the impression of a cute and shy rabbit. Her brows were the same colour as her hair. She stared at Kellogg sternly.

"I'm sorry, lady. If you're not gonna shoot, then I will." Kellogg raised his gun and aimed it at her. Nick and Piper did the same but their guns point at the mercenary. Codsworth's body became even stiffer yet no movement of any kind. Aria reaffirmed her decision by throwing down her guns and the assault rifle strapped to her back.

"You left your journal in Diamond City."

"So what? Are you gonna use my past to persuade me? It's not gonna work." Kellogg gripped his revolver even tighter.

"At the last entry, you wrote you enjoyed the days with my son. A reminder of what your life might have been if things had turned out differently."

Kellogg fired a shot at Aria's left shoulder. She felt an immense pain, still, she stood strongly before Kellogg while her other hand holds back Codsworth. The duo behind her almost fired their gun.

"Any last words?" His words wavering.

"Just because someone loses their way, doesn't mean they're lost forever. You have a beating heart inside you, Kellogg. I understand the grief and regret when you lose your wife and child. You made a promise but you weren't there to keep it. You blamed yourself. You thought the world was against you, unfair to you. Yes, those scums that killed your family don't deserve to live. But you don't realize that you are not the only one. There are others like you throughout the wasteland, regretting not able to save their loved ones, regretting not having enough power to prevent tragedies from happening, including me."

Kellogg fired another shot at her right thigh. Codsworth, Piper and Nick was on the verge of lunging and tearing the villain apart. Aria resisted the overwhelming pain and continued.

"So you think you know how I feel?! You think just because you lost your husband and son you assumed you know the pain of those who lived in this hell?! What could you possibly know?! You had a happy life, a peaceful life! My childhood was filled with nothing misery! Then misfortune struck me again when the world took my wife and daughter! Just because I did my job well!"

"Then what **do** you know about me?!" Aria roared. Kellogg was obviously taken aback by the sudden burst of emotion.

"When I was born, fossil-fuel, a crucial energy for our everyday life ran out. Every single country in the world was on the verge of nuclear war to find the last untapped supplies of fossil fuel. Everyone was in a state of constant fear. The dangers during your childhood can be seen, can be taught to fight it, can be somewhat predicted. But in my time? There was nothing we can do. NOTHING! Most of the population of the human race was controlled by a handful of people making choices that will cause the death of millions but no consequences to them. And it gets worse. People were starving to death even though there is food in every city because of inflation; violence everywhere but we couldn't do anything because we will be sent to jail for hurting others during self-defence. If the world today is cruel and unforgiving, then the world before was pure madness and insane. You lost your wife and daughter, but when I woke up from the vault, I lost **everything.** Everything I know, everyone I loved, vanished in half an hour. Now tell me, can **you** understand how I feel?" Aria started wobbling. Codsworth injected a Stimpak to her right arm to stop the bleeding. He then grabbed the same arm and put it over his shoulder to stabilize her stance.

"We all lost something, Kellogg. A part of our heart was torn away. You've lost your family, your hope. You cursed the world and sunk into darkness. But the reason I'm still standing here talking to you is because deep down you are a kind person. True, nothing you can do to bring the dead back to life. But you are alive right now. You wanted to redeem yourself and I present you a chance to do it." She removed her arm from Codsworth shoulder, shift the weight of her body onto the unwounded leg and stretched out her hand intending to shake with his.

"We are of flesh and blood. We makes mistakes, we lost our ways, we gave into despair. But for there is darkness, there will always be light. Hope will come for us, one way or another." The silence was asphyxiating. The bullets in Aria's body was pushed out, falling to the ground. Her wounds closed up but the loss of blood made her weak. The pain still lingers.

Not a minute passed Kellogg faced his back at Aria, trained his gun on the two synths and fired. Piper couldn't believe her eyes. Her instincts was right, this just might be the story of the century. She could already see her next article blowing the minds of Diamond City citizens. Of course, she felt pity for Aria and Kellogg. She knows about the pain, after all, her father was killed. Nick, on the other hand, wasn't bewildered by the development of the situation since the real Valentine encountered situations like this on his job. Aria's words on the society before the war made him recalled more memories from his previous life. He still remembers every time he looked at those criminals' faces. Their eyes gleamed with sorrow.

"Tell me," Kellogg dramatically turned to his back staring at Aria's eyes, "What if I say your son was already dead? Do you still want to live?" He grinned grimly.

Kellogg was obviously taunting her. Sure, there was no telling what he said was the truth or not. But it doesn't matter, because defeating an opponent in an argument is within Aria's field of expertise.

"I will live on. I will use every moment of my life to guide those who lost their family, save those who are powerless and reach my hand out for those who lost their way. You can mock my naivety, but I shall never give up. I was incapable to save my family when I was in the vault, but now that I'm here, I'm gonna ensure no one shares the same fate as I do again."

This was the first time the mercenary ever saw someone with such determination in their eyes, as if she can obliterate an entire army if she desire to do so, as if she can wipe out the Institute.

"Heh. I admire your spirit, lady. In my century-old life I never encounter anyone as interesting as you. Fine. I'll go with you. However, when the time anything you do can no longer excite me comes, I will kill you. I will kill anyone in sight until my last breath." Kellogg took Aria's hand and shook it. The birth of an ominous alliance. Nick stopped Piper from making any objection by gesturing her not to speak. Aria bent down to pick up her firearms before placing it back to their original position.

"I'll go open the doors. Then we can go wherever you wish." Said Kellogg after the both of them release their hands. When Kellogg was about to move towards the terminal and after Aria put her mask back on, all of them heard a rumbling noise approaching them from behind. All of them turned to their backs to see what the source of the disembodied noise is. Nick and Piper froze in terror as a wave of gen-1 synths holding ballistic weapons flood the stairs. Aria rotate her body back to confront Kellogg whilst the other three pull the trigger as fast as their fingers allow.

"Don't look at me. I'm as confused as you are." Another group of synths swarmed into the hallway to their right. The metal walls might prevent them from advancing forward, but the bullets can still pass through the small openings. All of them, with guns in their grips, scramble to find a cover behind the desks. They took every opportunity they can to reduce the synths' numbers.

"Does anyone has a plan?! I have a schedule tomorrow and it's called 'staying alive'!" Piper yelled. Aria emerged from her position to give Nick and Piper cover fire as they dodge through the crossfire and dove behind a desk next to Aria.

"I need to use the terminal to unlock the doors," Kellogg got out from his cover, insert four bullets into four synthetic skulls before crouching to and reload, "But the problem is more of them will be coming out to shoot at us."

"We'll deal with it. Codsworth! Initiate program Alpha! Go to the other side of the room and wait for my signal to enter the hallway!" Codsworth, whose position is the closest to the door, executed her orders immediately. He jumped to the position Aria ordered him in one leap, though unfortunately revealing his secrets to Piper in the process.

"How in the world was he able to do that?!" Piper exclaimed. Too many things happened today for her brain to handle. The synths inside the hallway were attracted by Codsworth and slowly march towards Codsworth's direction. Because Nick doesn't feel pain, he contributed the most to the declining number of synths, ducking into his cover only when he emptied his entire clip to reload. Piper didn't do much as she wasn't a marksman nor she had any kind military training before.

Aria signaled Kellogg to dash towards the terminal while she guard his back. A bullet drilled into her stomach as they finally made it to their destination. She used most of her Stimpaks during the infiltration and there were only two left. The bullet managed to came out once she injected the Stimpak on her body. Codsworth, from his position, was alternating between defending himself and firing at the synths aiming at the two Diamond City residents as they dodge through another stream of bullets.

"Seems like I'm not the only keeping secrets here." Kellogg jested as he unlocked the terminal.

"Open the doors on my signal." Kellogg nodded in agreement.

"3!" Codsworth holstered his submachine gun and grabbed his rifle.

"2!" He then brought it in front of him while holding the Anschütz stock with a spring attached at the end against his right shoulder.

"1!" He stood beside the door with the enormous gun pointing directly straight, his eyes in front of the scope. He didn't flinched whenever a bullet pierce through his body.

"Now!" It all happened in a course of five second. Kellogg pushed the button on the terminal and the doors went opened in the first and second second; Codsworth rocketed himself into the hallway with the muzzle only mere inches away from a synth in two seconds; and the final second, Codsworth pulled the trigger.

Even moving at high speed, Nick caught a glimpse at the monstrous projectile cutting through the air. The recoil sent Codsworth backward but the bullet annihilated every single synth in front of him and destroyed the elevator door at the other side of the elongated hallway. Codsworth fastens the rifle to his back and swapped back to the submachine gun. Kellogg stared in awe yet not forgetting to gun down synths. There were no more synths flowing out from the corridor on the other side of the hallway.

"Everybody run to the hallway!" Kellogg took the lead, jumping and diving into cover, slowly making way to the closest door connected to the hallway. When it's Piper's turn to move, at the end of the line, one bullet whizzed into the terminal and another into Piper's back. She howled in pain. Seeing there's no more Stimpaks left on her, Codsworth gave his last one, which was reserved for Aria, to Piper. Now all of them are in the hallway. Kellogg was moving first in the line, then Nick, Piper, Aria and Codsworth covering their back. The synths were endless. Occasionally a few synths attempt to step into one of the four metal doors, the gang drove them back.

As Codsworth prepare to move pass the final metal door on the left, a synth ran towards him. He fired his gun on the synth while unaware another one with a shotgun appeared from the corridor on the right. The shotgun wielding synth unloaded a shell towards Codsworth's gut. Aria instantaneously twists towards the owner of the loud blast and punctured a hole on the synths head with her rifle slug. Aria wrapped Codsworth's arm around her shoulder and walked backward. They moved as swiftly as their body allow as they fend off the synths. A few more projectile hit both of them before they eventually made it into the elevator. Aria and Codsworth slumped down on the floor as the elevator gradually moves up. Aria pushed the tip of her last Stimpak into her body in a worn out manner. Kellogg, already used a Stimpak to patch his injuries, crouched down to inspect Codsworth, who is sitting against the middle wall of the elevator. He couldn't grasp what exactly is Codsworth as he inspects his internal organs. The skin was organic, just like a gen-3 synth's, but beneath the ripped out skin, the muscles and bones were unlike anything he saw before. The muscles mimic those of humans, instead of flesh it was a bundle of fine, tensile metal wires; the bones were likely made of titanium.

"Is he…a synth?" Leaning against the right wall, Piper asked. She was pretty sure he is a synth, however he wasn't like any synths she met before. Nick was even more baffled. To his understanding, Codsworth couldn't be a synth. His body structure was more complex, more superior. Perhaps it was the Institute? Nick didn't dare to speculate that the elusive organization has developed a new generation of synths which have the capabilities shown by Codsworth. He was pulled out from his thoughts when Codsworth stuffed something into his hands. His sensations told him it was a key attached with a piece of paper. Nick assumed it was something important but he didn't look and place it into his pocket.

"It's…a long story. Wait till we get back to Diamond City first." The elevator reached the highest floor. At the opposite side of the short passage lies a terminal affixed to the wall beside the last automated metal door. Codsworth was apparently still functional being able to walk. Aria's movement was even more sluggish compared to before.

Kellogg walked through the door first. He regretted it. The synths ambushed him, shooting from left and right. Nick rushed out, taking down the synths on the left while leaving the right to Kellogg as he absorbed all the contents of a Stimpak though his arm. Piper jumped to the building in front once she got out, landed on the roof followed by a chain of smooth movements to hide behind the large object. Nick imitated Piper, he leaped to the roof, rolled to his nearest cover, then continued to fire despite this was his last clip. Kellogg did the same. When it was Aria's turn, two slugs found their way into Aria's back, causing her to land face down. Kellogg dragged her into cover whilst Codworth provide support fire. Aria now lies facing the sky beside Piper who long ran out of ammo. Kellogg stabbed his last Stimpak on Aria. Her body was weakened to the state Stimpak could not heal her efficiently anymore. Just when all of them lost hope, a rain of bullets came down on the synths. An announcement soon followed,

"People of the Commonwealth, do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel." Aria, engulfed by the pain, succumbed to deep slumber, words she last heard echoed in her mind.

"Thank..thank you for saving me." She was sitting on the floor of a garage across her original home in front of a small fire, her hands grabbing a can of Cram untouched by radiation. Sitting on her side was a young man. He has dark shaggy short hair, facial features of a handsome teen and a compact body. He wore a drifter outfit, his gauntlets laid down on the floor; a desert sand coloured scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. His appearance was no different than normal teenage wanderer. What sets him apart from the norms is his glowing set of blue eyes below a pair of road goggles. The sole survivor of Vault 111 was, initially, quite scared of him because of those inhuman eyes. But, he proved not to be a threat, so she slowly put down her guard. Now, she found those eyes appealing. She gobbled down what remains inside the Cram then put the empty can on the ground. She adjusted her position to her right knee standing upright, her left leg lying perpendicular on the ground to her right. Both her arms was placed on their respective side's knees.

"Why don't you say something?" Her fatigue can be detected in her words.

"...I don't know what to say." A lie. He was afraid he would give in to his emotions.

"Your voice resembles someone I knew. A Mister Handy. A robot to serve a new family. My family. Dead…."She started weeping, "...and gone." Her tears streaming down her cheek. He didn't say anything, he didn't do anything, just sitting beside her with companionship. He wanted to cry too, for the same and different reason. Minutes passed. She put an end to her tears and muttered to herself,

"Please tell me this is a dream…tell me this is a dream..." She raised her right hand and wiped the water droplets on her face.

"This isn't a dream. Two hundred years have passed since the day you and your family left me back in the house." He couldn't resist anymore.

"..What? What are you saying?" She turned her head to him. He kept on staring whatever is directly in front of him.

"Even though I've only been activated for one month before the bombs dropped, the time together with you, sir and young master Shaun was the best thing in my life. Those were the memories that gave me hope to live on. The hope to see all of you once more." His synthetic tears rushed out from his eyes.

"...Are you...are you...Codsworth? But that is impossible. It is not possible-"

"I am Codsworth, mum. I have waited so long for this day to come." Now, their eyes met each other.

"If you really are Codsworth, then it means I'm not the only left. I'm..*sniff*not the only one...*sniff* left." She started blubbering again. Codsworth moved his body and embraced her. She hugged him back tighter. Both of them cried to their heart's content. Nothing matters in this moment. Nothing but the fact they are not alone in this post-apocalyptic wasteland.

A dream. The first time she met Codsworth in his human form. She couldn't imagine the hardship he has endured for two centuries. But, if not for him, she wouldn't have found clues to Shaun.

"You're awake." Aria opened her eyes and saw Codsworth at the edge of her vision.

"I had a dream." She couldn't move much of her body but she was still capable of shifting her vision slightly to the right so she could see him.

"What did you dream?" Codsworth was only wearing his black T-shirt and navy blue jeans with the same road goggles on his forehead. He stood up to switch on the temporary light bulb installed. The light emitted wasn't bright. However, sufficed for Aria to see her surrounding clearly.

"The first time we met. It ends with both of us shedding tears in each other's arm." Aria smiled.

"That's still too embarrassing for me." He actually blushed.

When Aria was about to speak she was interrupted by Piper as she went inside the house.

"Is Aria awake now?" Piper climbed up the stairs at the same time Nick came in and closed the door.

"I'm awake, Piper." Aria struggled to sit up. Piper dashed to her new hero to give her a hand.

"Good to see you in high spirits Aria," Nick smirked. He stood at the end of the bed with both his hands in his pockets. After Aria found her most comfortable position, Codsworth let Piper have the chair he was sitting on.

"I was so worried. You've slept an entire day since we got back."

"What time is it now?" Codsworth picked up a glass of water on the cabinet and gave it to Aria. She hydrated herself as Piper answered.

"Almost midnight. I still can't believe we survived wave after wave of synths attack. I think I had enough action to last a couple of months."

"So, what happened after I fainted? I remember the last thing I heard was something about the Brotherhood of Steel. Did they saved us?" Aria handed the empty glass to Codsworth.

"Yes, or maybe not. I won't say 'making a deal' as 'saving' though. It's better for Nick to explain. At that time my head was already in a fuzz."

"A vertibird approached us. A rain of bullets swept away the synths, chewing them like paper. Soon after the synths retreated. When it landed in front of us, a huge blimp flew across the sky. It was a majestic sight to behold.

Two soldiers jumped out from the vertibird. At first, I thought they were friendly. As soon as they saw me, they aimed their plasma rifles at my face, treating like I'm a Deathclaw. One of them was about to shoot me, shouting 'Die, synth!'. Then Kellogg points his gun at the closest one's head."

"Kellogg saved you? Talk about irony." Aria chuckled.

"Yeah, wasn't exactly my proudest moment. The soldier Kellogg was aiming at ordered him to put away his gun. He retorted by saying, 'This synth is on my side. Shoot him and you die.' I realized those Brotherhood of Steel soldiers were probably on a mission to destroy the Institute, including synths given they rambled about 'The synths are the creations of the vile Institute. They are abominations of science.' later on. Kellogg persuaded them by stating the obvious, if I'm a 'bad' synth, I wouldn't be standing there like a log. Truth be told, I never saw any soldiers act that slowly and hesitantly. Kellogg carried on pressing them, said that if they took us to Diamond City now, they can have a nice interview with me. They agreed. When I turned back, Codsworth was gone." Nick glanced at the man in question. Codsworth averted his eyes somewhere else.

"I carried you to the vertibird, not without the pilot freaking out. One of the soldiers calmed him down. Once all of us has boarded the vertibird, it made its way to Diamond City under my guidance. And boy do they despise me even more. The less aggressive soldier was a combat medic. He injected a Stimpak into you while checking your vitals. He declared your body has suffered too much stress, causing the Stimpak to be ineffective. He asserted you require an operation and large amounts of blood. However, he needed a large place to operate on you. Doctor Sun's place was too small and I doubt Piper's house will do it. I recalled Codsworth slip a key into my pocket. So I took it out and gave it a look. It seems he bought the unoccupied house during his stay in Diamond City. Problem solved. I'll let Piper continue the rest of the story."

"The vertibird caused a lot of commotion when it flew past the city. Nick left behind to deal with the high and mighty soldier and Kellogg, while I, with the key to the house, lead the medic who was carrying you to the destination. I borrowed a surgery table from Dr. Sun. A few guards helped me hauled the table into the house. After everything's ready, I stood against the wall watching the entire operation. The medic removed the bullets in your back then stabilizes your condition by giving you a blood transfusion. He instructed me to give you a shot of Stimpak every five or six hours to speed up the healing process after the blood pack, bought from Dr. Sun, has been depleted. Just as he finished sanitizing his tools, a loud voice emerged from the walkie-talkie on his belt. Now, we get to the interesting part." Piper, with her signature smile on her face, rubbed her hands against each other in an excited manner.

"'Lancer Knight Craig! Please respond!'. The medic immediately picked up his intercom to answer. The rough voice began to question why his team left the formation and hasn't come back yet. His boss was really mad when he said he was helping a group of civilians. If you ask me, I don't think a group of 'civilians' can take out so many synths at once. Anyway, his boss scolded him, telling him all sorts of punishment he's gonna get **until** the medic reply defiantly that their team just secured valuable information regarding the Institute. He was like, BOOM, IN YOUR FACE!" Piper's movement, along the last phrase, made Aria chuckled.

"HIs boss went total silence. The medic, Craig, was smirking the entire time his boss figuring what to say. The rough voice came out again, this time in a somewhat apologetic way. His boss wants his team to report back to the 'Prydwen' as soon as they can. After that, he packed up his stuff and left the house. It was already dark outside when I went home to eat something. I changed your clothes with mine and lifted you to this bed together with Nat. Nick, your turn again."

"After a long interrogation with the Brotherhood soldier, he finally let me go, but not without threatening words as a gift. I 'thanked' him and brought Kellogg to the prison."

"Is he that obedient?" Aria was doubtful. Kellogg might be going along with them now, but allowing himself to stay in a prison?

"He didn't show any resistance. In fact, he looked happy. Let me tell ya, there's nothing more terrifying when a beast smiles. I told the officers in the prison to lock him up, make sure he won't escape. I often brought home criminals when I worked on a case, so they didn't ask any questions. I went to Dr. Sun to have the bullets in me removed. He wasn't very happy when he complained Piper took the table without his full consent."

"Well…it was an emergency." Piper rubbed her hand at the back of her head, expressing her humiliation.

"I visited you when Piper was leaving. I took over her job tending you. A few hours later, Codsworth sneaked up on me. If I were a human I would be scared to death when I saw him behind me. I wanted to know where the hell he went. However, he insisted he would only talk after you woke up." Nick shot him another look.

"That can wait. Now, I'm going to tell you what happened this morning. It was absolutely crazy." Piper interrupted.

"Mayor McDonough is dead." Nick just wanted to spoil Piper's fun.

"Nick! Seriously? Not cool!"

"I figured I could speed the conversation. After all, Nat is waiting for you to go home."

"Urgh. Fine. I only heard the entire story from one of the guards, it might not be completely accurate. Early in the morning, before the sunrise, McDonough visited Kellogg. They talked for a while, then McDonough became increasingly agitated. The guard didn't catch what they were arguing about as McDonough ordered him to stay as far as he can from the cell. All of a sudden, McDonough pulled out his gun and point it in front of Kellogg. It was McDonough's mistake to hold his gun close to the cell, because after he missed the first shot, Kellogg grabbed McDonough's gun and killed him. When the guard arrived at the scene, Kellogg dug through McDonough's neck and pulled out a chip."

"The mayor was a synth?" Aria was shocked.

"That's right! Who's gonna doubt me now?! Ha ha ha!" She laughed with arms akimbo.

"Don't mind Piper. She warned everyone about Mayor McDonough was a synth for a long time. The news spread like wildfire. Everyone was frightened. They started suspecting who is a synth and who is not. But thanks to Piper-"

"I gave a speech to everyone in Diamond City. I told them there was nothing to fear because you will defeat the Institute!"

"What?" Aria's mouth agape.

"Well, you defeated the Institute's best fighter _without_ firing your weapon, so it goes without saying you are our saviour!"

"But..we haven't found the Institute yet."

"Yet. Kellogg definitely withheld information on the Institute's whereabouts. I'm sure you can find the Institute, your son is in there! If you're upset about what I did, I apologize. It was the only way I could think of to calm the people down. An incident like this already happened once decades ago. They couldn't help but afraid."

"I don't mind, Piper. Anything else happened?"

"Other than Kellogg gave me a list of Institute spies when I asked him if he knew other people like McDonough? No. But, would you mind sharing Codsworth's secret identity? Pretty please?" Piper begged.

"Yeah. That. The thing is, I can't tell you Piper."

"Why?!"

"It's too dangerous. You may not care about your safety, but what about your sister? You can't know his secret, our secret, when the Institute is still out there."

"Dammit! What about Nick then? Don't tell me..."

"Firstly, he _is_ a synth. If he could walk around without getting himself dragged back to the Institute, it's not a problem to have one more secret. Secondly-"

"Fine. I get it. So, Nicky, do you want to know their secrets?"

"Sure, why not?"

"*Sigh* I'll see myself out then. Till tomorrow." Piper got up from the chair.

"Goodnight Piper." Aria waved her hand. Piper descended the stairs, followed by the sound of the door opened then the sound of the door closing.

"So. Where do we start?"

"Well, well. Who do we have here?" A teenage boy with silver short ponytail walked up to Kellogg's cell. Kellogg was sitting on the only bench in his cell. He peered at the boy as he stood up and approached him.

"The guards."

"They won't be disturbing us. Now, tell me, where is it?"

"How can I be sure you're going to hold up your end of the bargain?"

"I always keep my promise, you have my word. Don't try to doubt me. I only made a deal with you because I pitied you. I can just make you say the location of the box."

"Then why would you even need my help in the first place? Surely making a synth copy of my dead wife and daughter is harder than finding the box yourself. Which, by the way, I don't believe you can."

"Yet you still managed to found it. I'm too lazy to find it myself. Besides, I would love a happy ending. Where is the box?"

"In the Glowing Sea."

"Lies. I'm feeling generous today, so I'll ask you again. Lie to me once more and I will show you hell. **Where is the box?** "

"I gave it to someone. I can't always keep the box by my side, so I entrusted it to someone. He has been staying in the Commonwealth for some time, and he will be for the next few years. Go to Hotel Rexford, you will find him there."

The teenager stared at him long and hard.

"Very well. Now, I will tell where I hid the synth copies. I'll give you a hint, it's a place filled with perpetual radiation."

"You lie to me!" Kellogg smashed himself against the cell wall, trying to put his hands on the teenager's neck.

"And you didn't hand the box to me as per agreement. And of all the individuals you can give it to, you handed it to the Lone Wanderer."

"How did you-"

"How do I know? You know damn well how easy to guess it was the Wanderer. He was the only one besides you that can handle the box. Perhaps you did it because the box was starting to take a toll on you? Anyhow, you did half of the job, so I did the same to make us even. Goodbye, Kellogg. I hope the next time you see your family, they won't be dead again." Then, he snapped his finger.

X

Kellogg opened his eyes. He had an uneasiness in his heart but he couldn't make out what it is, as if he just forgotten a nightmare. He sat up from his sleeping position and saw Aria sitting on a chair outside his cell.

"What do you want to ask me first? Your son? Or how to find the Institute?" He hauled the entire bench parallel to the right cell wall and adjust it so he could talk face to face with her.

"My son."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but your son is not the one that stayed with me weeks ago. If he is till alive, he would be sixty years old now." Kellogg expected a huge reaction from her, but she wasn't shocked, not even one bit.

"You're not surprised?"

"There was no way of telling how much time have passed while I'm inside the cryo pod. Besides, if the Institute was the one ordered you to take him, I don't think they would let someone they deliberately searched for to hang out with a killer, even temporarily. By the way, you look awfully young for a hundred-year-old-man. Mind sharing your secret?"

"The Institute implanted some experimental cybernetics to prolong my life. They erased any memories I had when I undergo the surgery. Good thing they didn't stick a tracking beacon inside me. How's your wound? You're hurt pretty bad last I saw you."

"I'm recovering. So, who was the boy if not Shaun? What happened to my son?"

"The boy was a child synth, moulded after your son's ten-year-old self. Initially, I didn't know who the synth was, they just told me to take care of the kid. I didn't put two to two together when they say his name was Shaun. I don't know what happened to your son, honest. They didn't tell me anything but to kidnap Shaun. They just took him away. I can't tell you if he's alive or dead."

"Then why the entire set up so that I would meet you? You knew I was coming, and you clearly wanted to kill me."

"It's was all for you to replace me. They have been observing you since you came out from the vault. They saw the potential in you to perform even impossible tasks. They sent an order to me to eliminate you, but I know better. They wanted me to provoke you, so I told you a lie. But, most of it is just my speculation."

"Is that why waves of synths attacked us? As a safeguard in case both of us survived? If it's true, won't that defeat the purpose of recruiting me into the Institute?"

"Who knows? Maybe they fear we would team up and take them down. Or maybe someone else did it, it could explain why Diamond City is still standing. Speaking of which, I have to tell you, I have no idea where is the Institute. They always send a messenger."

"How do we find them then?"

"Lady Luck smiles upon you. I was preparing for my next mission while waiting for your arrival. A rogue Institute scientist, Dr. Brian Vergil, has escaped the Institute. They wanted him dead. His current location is somewhere in the Glowing Sea. You find him, you find a way in."

"Thank you. Now, we're going to talk about your future."

"I'm hoping you're not inviting me to join you on your journey. As exciting as it may be-"

"No, no. I have a better idea. I want you to be the leader of a near extinct organization, the Minuteman."

"Weren't all of them died in the Quincy Massacre?"

"Nope. One of them spoke to me in the morning. During my 'training' with Codsworth, my companion, we subdued raider gangs near Sanctuary and Concord. You could say we 'tamed' them. Turns out, they were relatively easy to manipulate. Some of them were quite blood-thirsty, but most of them became raiders because they don't know any other way to survive. Under our leadership, we gathered all of them and formed The Sunset Ravens."

"Nice name."

"I didn't come up with the name. A pre-war comic book title cradled it. The idea of forming a team of crime fighters from raiders was a success. The gang wasn't large, but it was good enough to protect nearby settlements. Back to the Minutemen. The gang rescued a group of Quincy survivors in Concord few days past. The last Minuteman, Preston Garvey, was curious to know who the leader of The Sunset Raven is. The man in charge of the gang in my stead told the Minuteman where we went. Preston was impressed by my ability to bring together a band raiders to willingly defend the citizens of the Commonwealth. He offered me to become the General of the Minutemen."

"Let me get this straight. The last surviving Minutemen, after encountering your little gang, decided to entitle you the leader of the Minutemen because he admires your achievement? I'd say he's a lazy devil if I ever know one." Kellogg chuckled. That was one of the most ridiculous things he heard in his life.

"As funny as it may be, that was not the reason. He was incompetent to carry out the role effectively. He blamed himself indirectly allowing the massacre to take place for that very reason. He is excellent as a subordinate, however, not as much as a leader. I would help him, I wanted to. But finding my son is my top priority right now. No matter how selfish my actions are, I want to see Shaun. After a long period of meticulous consideration, I will have you take the position of Lieutenant-General."

"I don't suppose I can decline."

"You can't. I may pity you Kellogg, but I will never forgive you for the things you've done. You have the knowledge and experience to build the Minutemen from the ground up. With Preston as your advisor, you can create an army even the Institute have a hard time to reckon with. This is your chance to make amends for your sins."

"You're playing with fire, lady. I told you, didn't I? If one day, when I found running this show boring, I will kill everyone in sight. Is that what you want? Leaving an uncertainty for weaklings to deal with?" Kellogg stood up and stared more intensely at Aria. Aria did the same, standing even closer to Kellogg.

"I have faith in you. I believe you to be a man of honor despite your reputation. That was who you are when Sarah was still alive." She softened her tone.

"...When Sarah was still alive, huh? You sure know how to push people's button. No wonder they named you the 'Angle of Court' in the past. Alright. I'll go along with your plan. You better put a leash on me though, a mad dog's actions are unpredictable after all." His infamous grin appeared on his face once more.

"See you later, Conrad." Aria didn't look back as she walks towards the exit.

"Same to you, Alice." Her movement stopped for a second before resuming her path. _Now we're even,_ thought Kellogg to himself.

"Aria, right?" A Diamond City guard with sunglasses approached her after few steps away from the prison.

"What do you want?"

"A guy told me to hand this holotape to you." He handed the holotape to Aria.

"Who is that person?" Aria accepted it.

"He was in disguise, couldn't get a good look at his face. I should be going." He turned around and left. Aria had a strange feeling about that man. She felt like she seen him before but couldn't remember where. She inserted the holotape into her Pip-Boy and walked back to the market.

At that time, I didn't know what was going to happen. I've only wanted to find my son, yet my actions have brought a momentous change to the Commonwealth. I would soon discover the secrets behind the wasteland. I became the most important agent in the Railroad, fighting for the freedom of the synths; a Sentinel of the Brotherhood of Steel, maintaining true peace in the Commonwealth; the Castle was retaken and soon the Minutemen formed a government for the wasteland; I took the role of Director of the Institute from my son, ensuring it will benefit the world above their society rather than destroying it. I met a lot of people, some became friends, some became enemies.

I travelled across the Commonwealth, even over the sea to Far Harbour. From DiMA, I learned the true definition of what it means to be a human; from the Children of Atom the power of religion to bring people together from different walks of life, whether to do good or bad. In my Silver Shroud costume, I fought the mechanist, convinced her that her robots were causing chaos instead of saving people. I guided her back to the right track, now her robots patrolled the Commonwealth.

I visited Nuka World, taught the raider gangs there they need not kill to survive. I showed Cotler a better way after listening to his story. He lost his way once like Kellogg, but now he transformed the former raider paradise to a trading empire and became its leader.

However, at the very end, no matter where we stand in the fallout, the world will always find its way to maintain balance. Because I know that war, war never changes.

Thank you all for reading! I spent WEEKS to write this thing, so I command you to like it no matter what! I'm just joking. This is a one-shot, for those who hasn't figured out yet, so there will not be any more chapters!

The most important thing I want to address is I wrote this primarily to see how good I can write, so don't be shy to criticize. In fact, I welcome you to badmouth this piece of work! I dare you! I'm getting off track here. So! This is merely a test to measure my aptitude for writing because I'm planning to write my very own novel! Maybe for NaNoWriMo first, maybe in Wattpad first, I don't know. I'm not a native English speaker, or writer, or whatever they call. My mother tongue is Chinese. English, in the place where I live, isn't a very focused subject during primary school and secondary school (because my school kinda suck). Well, I'll have to blame my parents for sending me to Chinese school. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER! What matters now is I have to improve myself. I am embarrassed to say I have to use Google to elevate my terrible, TERRIBLE English standard every five minutes. I'm not kidding. Thank you Thesaurus for providing me fantastic synonyms to reduce the crazy amount of repeated words I used. I don't know why but I can only remember to use HALF of the English words I learned every time I write. My mind just CAN'T DO IT. On to the next topic.

If you're scratching your head wondering why I present Codsworth as a super synth, I only have one word, manga. I read a lot of manga, like a lot. From underrated to super popular ones like One Punch Man. No, I do not like Attack of the Titan, SAO, or any other overrated mangas/animes, especially those two, I hate them. I'm assuming the story came to life in my head because I was influenced by the many mangas I read but I can't be one hundred percent sure (I read a lot of novels too, well, maybe not a lot.). It was a scenario of what if Codsworth is a human, or have real human emotions. He does stand out from all other Mister Handy, for example, he is more kind-hearted and lovable than most of the NPCs in the game (I'm looking at you Marcy) as he is able to show human emotions. He also calls the female Sole Survivor 'mom'. It really gets my imagination working. What if Codsworth can be the female Sole Survivor's son? I just really love the idea, so here we are. "What about how Codsworth became a synth?" It's up to your imagination. It's definitely not because I'm lazy or anything, not at all.

As for the Sole Survivor, her appearance is based on one of the preset I downloaded from Nexus. It was really beautiful so I had to use it. Whenever I play Fallout 4, doing all the quests and stuff, it really makes me wonder, am I really that different from a raider? I mean, I did what raiders did, kill people, take stuff from places and just do whatever I want. I was _kinda_ disappointed about the pacify option, it just doesn't do much. If the Sole Survivor truly is a great hero, shouldn't he or she able to do the impossible? Especially with the female SS, she was a lawyer, gotta have some negotiating skills. Hence I made her wield electric guns, enough to stun someone for some time but not enough to kill. This way, she won't need to worry the raiders shooting at her while she persuades them to join her, doing good deeds. If you go to Youtube and search for random encounters in the game, you will know one of the encounters is a raider mourning for his friend in front of his grave and saying stuff like they had no choice. The wasteland is a cruel place, but it need not be for the Sole Survivor.

At the beginning, it was supposed to be a Pokemon fanfic. I planned to write one a year ago. I realize that I simply couldn't. I've been out of touch with Pokemon for too long and I dislike the current generation too much. It was supposed to be set in a post-apocalyptic region, cut off from other regions and no way in, no way out. The story was supposed to be different from the traditional ones-Pokemon and their trainers fight side by side. However, a few months ago, I found out my idea has been used by others. Not the settings I mentioned though, it's the Pokemon + Human = Pokemon-Human fusion idea. For those who don't know, it's was the "plot device" for Pokemon Reburst! It's quite interesting, but I can't find any English translations for the entire thing. Maybe I will write it in the future, but it is unlikely given how my Maplestory fanfic has become. I really wanted to continue to expand this fanfic into even more chapters but I don't have time or patience to keep referencing to the Fallout wiki. Maybe if someone wanted to keep this story going, you can PM me! I'll tell you other stuff I didn't put into the story, and there is a lot of that. Still, I feel kinda shameful to say that, but whatever.

If you read through my entire ranting section, thank you! You deserve a cookie. I'm still playing Fallout 4, with mods, and it is absolutely frustrating. The game kept freezing and crashing. For those who like science video about games, check out ShoddyCast! They are really awesome, especially Austin! I didn't like the Storyteller series too much because, you know, it's like going to a history class. My Wattpad's name is RayleighKaiser, FYI. So, yeah. Please review everyone!

P/S If you noticed something wrong with the story like unexplained stuff or serious plotholes, PM me. I'll revise it and upload the fixed version as the second chapter.

P/P/S For those professionals out there, I'm sorry if I mixed present tense and past tense together. It was supposed to be past tense all the way, but I'm still inexperienced, so the usage of the tenses is not consistent.

P/P/P/S About Austin in ShoddyCast, he moved to The Game Theorist. I was really sad to find that out today. But the pay is probably better for him.

And remember, it's not goodbye. Oh no, it's never goodbye, it's- _ **See You Later.**_


End file.
